PUTRAJAYA, 20 November 2025 — The Government has announced a temporary freeze on all extra funding to the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and introduced new vetting protocols for athlete naturalisation, following serious accountability concerns. The decision was revealed in Parliament by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh today.
Why the Freeze Now?
Minister Yeoh clarified that the freeze is an immediate preventive step while investigations, led by Tun Md Raus Sharif, progress into suspected document forgeries submitted for naturalisation of players.
She added that under the new framework, any proposal by sports associations to naturalise athletes must first be approved by the National Sports Council of Malaysia (NSC) and subsequently referred to the Ministry of Home Affairs Malaysia, preventing associations from bypassing oversight.
Funding Background and Conditions
Yeoh also stated that while the Government had already channelled substantial support to FAM, including RM5 million during former coach Kim Pan‑gon’s tenure and two separate grants of RM15 million each, these funds are strictly earmarked for senior and Under-23 squads, and subject to monthly oversight by a joint committee of the Ministry and the Ministry of Finance Malaysia (MOF).
Importantly, she emphasised that none of the government funds may be used for litigation, if FAM intends to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it must cover the costs itself.
Implications for Malaysian Football & Governance
- The funding freeze sends a clear message that federations will be held accountable for governance lapses and irregularities.
- The new naturalisation vetting process raises the compliance bar for all sports associations seeking to bring in heritage or foreign-qualified players.
- For sponsors, stakeholders and fans of Malaysian football, the move may help restore confidence in governance and transparency within FAM.
- The risk remains, however, of external regulatory fallout, any extended governance weakness could imperil Malaysia’s standing with FIFA or affect regional participation.
